Steam-stoker.



110.722,471. y PATENTED.MAR.10,1903. E. B. VALENTINE.

STEAM STOKER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 11, 1902. NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEAMQSTOKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,471, dated March 1o, 1903.

Application filed March ll, 1902.

To @ZZ whom, t nutty concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST BERKLEY VAL- ENTINE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oneonta, in the county of Otsego and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Steam-Stoker, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention .relates to steam-stokers admitting of general use and peculiarly adapted for service Vupon locomotives.

Reference is to he had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in'all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing myinvention as applied to a locomotive. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the gate through which the fuel is fed to the fire-box. Fig. 3 is aplanY showing the chute and funnel for conveyingcoal to the fire-box and also the movable nozzle for governing the direction of the fuel, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken centrally through the steam-Siphon.

The locomotive 1 is provided with a fire-box 2 and a tender 3 in the usual manner. A spout 4 allows the coal to flow from the tender, and this spout is closed by a gate 5, moving in slides 6 7, so as to be controllable at will. A tubular chute S is provided with a hopper 9, said hopper being disposed immediately below the spout 4. A steam-pipe 10 is provided with an aspirating steam-siphon 11, prpvided with a conical opening 12, as indicated in Fig. 4. The aperture through which the coal is thrown into the fire-box is guarded by angular pieces 13 14, against whichV the doors 15 16 are free to close, as indicated in Fig'. 2. The doors are mounted upon hinges 17 and may be opened or closed by hand. The chute 8 is inserted through an opening 18 between the doors 15 and 16. The chute enters a removable funnel-shaped nozzle 19, which is provided with a handle 20, and is thereby rendered movable relatively to the other parts. This nozzle when manipulated bythe handle" 2O directs the dow of the coal into/different parts of the fire-box, as indicated in Fig. 1. The nozzle 19 is of such a size and is so arranged with respect to the chute 8 that air passes between the parts to mix with the fuel prior to its introduction into the furnace, as

Serial No. 971683. (No model.)

hereinafter described. When not in use, the nozzle is removed by means of the handle.

The steam for actuating the coal through the chute is supplied from a hand-valve 21, mounted upon the boiler. An additional hand-valve 21 is located'within easy reach of the engineer or fireman as he sits upon his usual seat. Y

The operation of my device is as follows: The gate 5 is raised, coal pours out through the spout-4 into the hopper 9, the valve 21 is opened by hand, and the'stea'm passes downward and to the left through the pipe 10, whence it enters the tubular chute 8 through the conical aperture 12 and blows the pieces of coal longitudinally through the chute into the lire-box. Each piece of coal becomes a Vprojectile and is hurled with any degree of violence desired, the sameV being regulated by the force 'of steam supplied by means of the hand-valve 2l. It may be desirable to project a portion of the coal over into au obscure portion of the fire-box or to cause said coal to be precipitated at a particular spot in the fire-box, and this is done by placing the nozzle 19 in the position indicated in Fig. 1 and manipulating the handle 20.

The passage of the steam through the conical aperture 12 causes an aspiration to take place, drawing the air downward through the -hopper and forcing the same in the direction of the fire-box. By this means the coalis not blown out through the hopper by means of theair-blast, but insteadis drawn into it more forcibly and fed along with the air into Vthe furnace.

The steam, air, and fuel issuing from the endA of the chute through the nozzle cause air to be drawn in between the nozzle and chute, so that an additional supply of air will by means of the nozzle be mixed with the fuel before it is discharged into the fire-box.

My device has 'many advantages, among which may be enumerated the thorough combustion of'the coal, the minimum of labor required. to handle coal, the accuracy with which coal can be fed to dilerent parts of the re-box, the uniformity with which the coal may be supplied, the cheapness of construction, interchangeability of parts, &c.

Having thus described my invention, I

IOO

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a steam-Stoker, the combination with a locomotive, and a tender having a gate-controlled spout at its front end, of a tubular chute having one end projecting into the firebox of the locomotive and provided at its other end with a hopper arranged under the chute of the tender, a steam-pipe leading from the boiler of the locomotive and provided at its end with an aspirating steamsi phon discharging into the chute below the bottom of the hopper, and a funnel-shaped nozzle into which the end of the chute within the re-box loosely projects and between which and the chute air passes to mix with the fuel, said nozzle being provided with a rearwardly and outwardly extending handle,

by means of which it may be manipulated to direct the flow of coal into the fire-box, or by which it may be removed when not in use, as set forth.

2. In a steam-Stoker the combination with a locomotive, and a tender having a dischargespout at its front end, of a tubular chute having one end projecting into the fire-box of the locomotive and provided at its other end with a hopper arranged below the discharge-spout of the tender, and a steam-pipe leading from the boiler and provided at its end With an aspirating steam-Siphon discharging into the chute below the lower end of the hopper, as set forth.

3. In a steam-Stoker, the combination with a chute for delivering the fuel to the furnace, and means for directing the flow of fuel through said chute, of a conical nozzle removably and adj ustably held on the discharge end of the chute, said nozzle being of such a size and so arranged with respect to the chute that air passes between the parts to mix with the fuel before it is discharged into the furnace, as set forth.

4:. A steam-Stoker, comprising a tubular chute provided with a hopper at one end and with an aspirating steam-Siphon discharging into the chute below the bottom of the hopper, and afunnel-shapednozzleinto which one end of the chute loosely 'projects and between which parts air passes and is mixed with the fuel, said nozzle being provided with a handle extending rearwardly beyond the nozzle, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST BERKLEY VALENTINE.

Witnesses:

FREDERIC G. LAKE, FREBUs D. AYLswoRTH. 

